


She-ra: Princess of Power- After The Horde

by where_we_left_off



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Another evil, F/F, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Multi, One Year Later, Personal Growth, season 6 (She-ra), smut plus plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24763771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/where_we_left_off/pseuds/where_we_left_off
Summary: A year after the rebellion has defeated the Horde, Adora, Catra and the other princesses have just begun to live a normal life in Etheria when another threat suddenly appears. This time the terror doesn’t come from another planet but from inside the core of their very own. We all want to believe that evil is as simple as black and white, good and bad, but is it? She-ra and her gang of lovable scamps are about to find out.
Relationships: Adora and Catra - Relationship, Bow and Glimmer, Glimmer and Adora and Catra - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. After The Horde

Although Etheria was finally free from the wrath of Prime, the remnants of the horde remained as a constant reminder that all existence had come perilously close to extinction. This unnerving thought was constantly fixed at the front of Adora’s mind and as she lay in bed, the sweat of the restless dripped from her forehead onto the pillow.

She _knew_ the war was over. It’d been more than a year since the rebellion had defeated the evil that infested their planet and their minds. She-ra had expelled all existence of Horde Prime from Hordak’s being, she watched as he left his body and disintegrated, but even that memory couldn’t relieve her of this nagging thought: _If it isn’t Prime, then someone else, something else, could steal away with everything we’ve fought so hard to accomplish_. Adora who was normally, an appallingly cheerful optimist wrestled with her unsettled feelings.

As she turned over, for the fiftieth time that night, she lay her arm tentatively across Catra’s waist and pushed her face into her neck. Inhaling deeply she drank in the comfort that she felt being beside the person she’d always loved.

“Are you _still_ awake?” Catra drawled sleepily, one eye open, and one eye resisting the waking world.

“Yeah, i’m just...” Adora trailed off, knowing Catra was probably already back asleep.

With a broad yawn, Catra stretched her arms into the air and turned to face Adora. She still couldn’t believe how circumstances had unfolded, after all she’d done, after all the people she’d harmed, after all the pain she’d caused Adora, Adora still cared about her, still wanted her, still loved her after all of it.

In the muted early morning light she traced the faint rays of the sun as they fell along Adora’s tussled hair and sullen face.

“What? What is it Adora?” She waited.  
“Seriously, you think i haven’t noticed? You’ve been like this for weeks. Tossing, turning, flopping around all hours of the night, always laying there sweating like a Kyle after two minutes of combat practice.” That spread a small smile across Adora’s lips giving Catra the urge to lean in and kiss her softly.

“What’s wrong? You can tell me dummy”

Adora couldn’t help but feel that familiar warmth begin in her stomach every time Catra kissed her, even if her pet names were insults more often than not. She moved closer to Catra’s face and cautiously kissed her mouth, careful not to move too quickly and risk scaring her away. Their lips met, softly at first, her hand against Catra’s cheek, playing with the tuft of hair just below the hard cartilage of her ear. Adora knew how easily she melted whenever she did that. Catra let out a quiet moan, or a meow as Adora would say to tease her, very much to Catra’s disapproval.

The moment was pure pleasure. As Adora pushed herself a bit harder into the kiss Catra’s tail came around her waist and pulled her closer until their legs were intertwined and their breathing began to quicken. Their lips and tongues connected eagerly like this for some time, each woman knowing exactly how to entice the other. After a while of making out Catra leaned back and took Adora’s face into her hands, stroking her cheek gently.

“Now that you’re relaxed, well not exactly relaxed but as close as you get, ya know. Will you tell me what’s going on?”

Seemingly annoyed that they’d stopped their make out short, Adora sat up and exhaled.

“I am relaxed!” She replied a little too forcefully and then with a more deliberately calm tone she asked “Seriously? Right now?”

Catra sat up leaning on her elbow, looking formidably hot with her tousled hair going in every direction and her weary morning smirk. Adora knew she had to tell her now, that if she didn’t, Catra would continue to bug her mercilessly until she confessed.

“Ok, i know this is going to sound stupid-“

“Ya probably” quipped Catra, who received an exasperated look from her love in return. Bowing her head and throwing an arm up she uttered “Alright, sorry. Reflex. Go on.”

Adora took another deep breath and continued  
“I know Horde Prime is dead and Etheria’s magic is back but I just can’t shake the feeling that something else is coming. That’s stupid right?”

At that, Catra sat up and moved to a crouching position, holding her legs. In a rare show of vulnerability Catra quietly intoned.

“No, it’s not that stupid. I, I feel it too. i think it’s because we’ve always had something bad happen anytime we’ve had something good“

Adora could see tears wetting the corner of Catra’s eyes, which she tried to hide by folding her ears down around her face. She continued.

“And this” Catra gestured between them. “This is so, so good.”

Adora smiled and leaned forward wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, pulling her into her chest and stroking the hair behind her ears until she could hear Catra’s contented purring. As children, Adora had always been the only one who could calm Catra when she’d fly into a rage or the terror of Shadow Weaver’s abuse overtook her senses.

“We’re not going to be apart again Catra, not ever again.” Adora whispered into her ear, it was something she’d repeated countless times over the last year. She’d promised she’d say it until the end of time or at least until Catra finally believed her.

She knew Catra’s fears were valid and the fact that she wasn’t being her belligerent self in the face of such a heavy conversation was slightly concerning. Adora wasn’t weighed down by the fear of loosing Catra though, she’d already proven to herself that this love, this woman, was always the reason she’d been able to fight and now that they were together she’d do everything to keep them that way. Adora did have fears too though, but her fears lay at a more universal level, as in the continued existence of it. She thought that if they could only spread Etherian magic across the universe again it could somehow safeguard them all from the coming horrors and she couldn’t stop herself from thinking that there would most certainly be, coming horrors


	2. The Next Bad Thing

Glimmer and Bow had been planning this thing called a “picnic” for a week now, and Adora had promised that her and Catra would be there despite Catra’s resistance to the whole thing.

“Are you sure sitting on a blanket, eating cold food on the ground in the whispering woods is really how you wanna spend your day?” Catra unrestrainedly complained.

“Yes, i am, and so are you. Come on, in the Fright Zone, we always used to sneak up the wall and eat outside, it was nice. What’s the difference?” Adora queried, getting a little impatient with all of Catra’s constant excuses not to hang out with Glimmer and Bow, and well, really anyone but her and Melog.

“The difference, A-dooora, is that was just you and me, not you, me, and two people i tried to kill a bunch of times.” As she said the last of the sentence shame crumpled her eyebrows and she looked away.

“Well you’ve tried to kill me a bunch of times too you know.” Adora chirped back hoping to get a smirk or a giggle out of Catra. Catra’s facial muscles didn’t move.

“They’ve both moved past all that, you’ve come so far this year. You know Glimmer thinks you’re great right? And Bow, well Bow loves everyone so he’s not a great example. But Glimmer, she’s told you herself she forgives you. Please, can’t you just believe them? You’re so damn sensitive for a cat” She said shooting her apprehensive partner a playful look.

As Catra stood up from the window ledge where she was perched, she flicked her tail around Adora and a smug grin began to creep across face.

“You’re such an idiot...Ok, i guess as long as you’re going to be there it can’t be _that_ bad.”

The best friend squad met at the front of Brightmoon castle loaded with baskets, backpacks and blankets, and trotted off in search of the perfect clearing to have their picnic. Catra begrudgingly trailed behind them. Glimmer’d suggested they just teleport there but Catra’s aversion to teleportation squashed that idea pretty quickly.

As they entered the forest Bow skipped ahead laughing merrily at the fact that neither Catra nor Adora had ever had a picnic before. After walking through several idillic glades, that Glimmer had certainly seen before, she finally decided upon the perfect place to start their afternoon of woodsy relaxation.

The spot was a small clearing filled with wild flowers and at the very edge there was an old tree that seemed to be sparkling with magic. The enormous oak was standing only feet away from a small cliff that dipped down into a lush valley filled with what Bow called “Sweetum’s” fruit trees.

“After we eat maybe we can climb down there and pick some Sweetum’s for dessert.” Bow chirped happily. He chuckled softly as he continued. “Do you remember how we used to sneak away and eat those things until we couldn’t move when you first learned to teleport Glimmer?”

Glimmer stood beside him overlooking the valley wrapping her arm around his waist as he warmly placed his arm across her shoulders.

“We definitely used my powers for all kinds of childish things back then. From stuffing our faces with fruit to fighting off the horde. We really have done it all.”

Glimmer sighed remembering all they’d been through to get there. Now they were only twenty one, but it seem so long ago they’d been teenagers who snuck out of Brightmoon just to watch the setting suns together or teleported to the roof to gather so many of Bows lost arrows. With a whistful smile and a soft squeeze of Bow’s waist she stepped away and began to set up the blanket.

“This might take a bit to get set up, if you two want to go for a walk or something” Bow said as he pulled an enormous basket out of his ridiculously gigantic backpack.

Glimmers eyebrows raised “We may have gone a bit over board.”

“May have? You got Wrong Hordak to make like ten different courses!” Bow retorted “Not that i’m complaining”

His eyes widened and he squealed as he remembered the feast ahead of them. He threw his hand in the air, fist pumping and yelled

“Best friends picnic!”

Though she tried to suppress it, Catra couldn’t help but smirk at Bows adorable enthusiasm and all the effort he and Glimmer put into the outing. Despite her apprehension she could tell they both liked her, at least a bit.

“Okay then, come ooon Catra” Adora said as she grabbed her hand and tugged her back into the forrest. “ I saw a tree and big rock thingy i need to check out back there. See you in a bit guys!”

Adora turned swiftly practically yanking Catra’s arm out of the socket and she pulled her from the clearing. As she wrenched her away they could hear the faint voices of their friends laughing at Adora’s clumsy and obvious attempt to get Catra alone for a moment.

“So where exactly is this tree and rock _thingy_ you wanted to see?” Catra inquired with her usual amount of snark.

Adora turned, raised an eyebrow, and grinned deviously.

“That wasn’t exactly the truth” Adora admitted, and resumed jerking Catra along behind her, although there wasn’t much resistance at that point.

“Ya, i figured that out like the second you said it dummy”

Catra’s tail twitched from side to side as Adora’s cheeks grew bright pink. Whipping around trying to ignore the affectionate insult, Adora tripped over her own feet as Catra laughed heartily at her fall. Still chucking Catra extended her hand and Adora took it begrudgingly. Swiftly getting up again they turned a corner in the path and soon before them, to Catra’s surprise, was a large tree and a big rock thingy.

“See c _at-girl_ , this is what i wanted to check out but it’s not a rock, i think it’s some kind of First Ones ruin.”

Adora looked at Catra with classic i-told-you-so eyes, turned back to the rock formation, knelt down and crawled inside an almost invisible hole in the bottom. Of course Catra eagerly followed.

The inside of the rock was like a cave but it didn’t have a roof and it was too symmetrical to be a natural occurrence. There were First Ones carvings on the walls and long flat rocks about knee high that looked like benches all along the sides of the room.

“Woah, this is definitely not just a rock,” Catra said as she ran her hands along the carvings in the wall.

When she turned to look at Adora in the dim light, she could see an odd expression on her face, a smug smile with her eyes slightly squinting, she looked as if she was trying to tease her.

“Alright princess, how did you know this was here?” Catra demanded, pretending to be annoyed that Adora had one upped her and certain that finding this perfect nook wasn’t a mere coincidence.

“I found it when Glimmer took me out while she was scoping out possible picnic spots last week! She’s, really serious about this picnic stuff. Pretty cool though right?”

Adora’s eyes grew wide and she gestured around, marvelling at the cavern she’d found. As she twirled, her hand hit the wall, she cringed in pain and grinned with embarrassment.

“Can you believe this place!” Adora remarked trying to be casual about it.

Catra always loved how clumsy Adora was when she was excited about something, even her grimace was cute.

“Are you okay there princess? Did you hurt your delicate hand?” Catra asked grinning wickedly.

Why did she love it so much when Adora messed up? Hadn’t so many of the long, boring lessons, Perfuma had been giving her about kind human interactions taught her that taking pleasure in someone else’s pain was wrong?

Taking Adora’s hand into hers, she brushed the top of it with her tail. A flustered Adora pulled her hand away and brushed the hair that fell out of her ponytail behind her ear.

“I’m fine, She-ra can take a lot more than a little scrape”

Catra chuckled in reply and arrogantly grabbed Adora’s hand again, gently pulling her towards herself.

“I know She-ra can, but Adora, that girl is an entirely different matter. Here let me kiss your _boo boo_ better”

Catra mocked but she began to kiss Adora’s hand, and seeing her face soften, she continued to kiss her palm, then up her inner arm, slowly ambling up towards her neck. When she reached her chin, she turned her attention to the soft skin below her ear and then her ear lobe, sucking and nibbling gently. Adora moaned and pushed her body closer to Catra’s as they lowered themselves onto the bench behind them. Catra lightly nipped at her neck and continued to suck on her lobes which by the sound of things, was clearly being enjoyed by her human girlfriend.

Adora couldn’t take it anymore and held Catra’s face, pulling her mouth to her own. Neither had to be encouraged any more than that and began pawing at each other’s bodies. Catra kept biting Adora’s lips and Adora kept pulling the tuft of hair below Catra’s ear. Finally Adora clumsily ripped off her jacket and put it on the bench behind them, guiding Catra down on top of her.

Their enthusiasm for each other was clear and the fact that they’d waited so long to do more than make out had built up so much anticipation for what, both hoped, might now be about to happen.

As they pushed and pulled at each other Catra managed to pull Adora’s shirt over her head and began to kiss, and lick, her breasts. Running her claws lightly over her nipples Adora moaned so loudly they both stopped for a second and laughed, but not for long.

Desperate to feel their bodies together Adora’s hands wandered along the seems of Catra’s body suit trying to find a zipper or buttons or something that she could tug to undress her. Without missing a beat Catra’s tail pushed up beneath her top and pulled it over her head in one deft move. Totally amused Adora chuckled

“I’ve never seen you do _that_ before.”

“You don’t know everything about me princess, i have lots of surprises.” Catra growled while pushing Adora back and parting her legs so she could lay on top of her again, directly against her naked chest this time.

Adora’s breath quickened and she grabbed at Catra’s body pulling her tightly down on top of her. Running her fingertips through the downy fur of her back and down towards the base of her tail made Catra stiffen and let out a lustful mewl. Then placing her mouth against Catra’s neck she kissed and licked her, and took a deep breath in, as if trying to inhale her partner whole. Adora could tell this was turning Catra on because her tail began to flick about wildly, and rub against the inside of Adora’s thigh.

“How do you feel sooo good?!” Adora blurted our rhetorically while Catra ran her claws not so gently down her spine. Adora loved when she did that.

The first time she’d asked Catra to scratch her like that she’d barely touched her skin then turned away too ashamed to meet her gaze.  
“I didn’t want to hurt you like that” Catra whispered.

It took Adora a moment to realize that she was referring to the scars she’d given her back when Adora had saved her from Horde Primes ship. After a lot of reassurance Catra accepted her forgiveness and eventually came to oblige her when she’d ask her to be scratched that way. Now whenever she really wanted to turn Adora on she’d unleash her nails along her spine and listen to her breath speed up lustfully.

Now as they moved their bodies against each other they began to find a rhythm, and both woman lost track of everything around them. They’d wanted this for so long it seemed that perhaps everything else in the universe had fallen away, leaving only them to feel their way, to melt into each other.

“I want to...” Catra demanded abruptly, then followed by a softer “Can i?” She asked as she ran her hand along the waist band of Adora’s pants.

Adora said nothing but nodded enthusiastically undoing the button herself and lifting her pelvis for Catra to finish undressing her. Pushing her thumbs down the sides of Catra’s very, very tight pants she tried to rip them off but only succeeding in pushing them down a bit. Catra scoffed at her and laughed

“That’s the best you can do? And you call me a kitten.”

Catra squirmed out of her clothing and they clung to each other for a second, overcome by the impossibility of being any physically closer.

Adora savoured the sensations of Catra’s soft warm peach fuzz against her skin, while Catra couldn’t stop kissing and biting her girlfriends neck and breasts. The two soldiers felt every inch of each other’s naked bodies and the heat they produced as they fondled, pinched, and sucked on each other. Adora had imagined this scenario a thousand times but living it now was so full of sensation her mind couldn’t think of what to do.

Thankfully Catra didn’t seem to have that problem and continued to arouse Adora with every push, grind and nip she took. She finally had the kind of power she’d truly wanted, the power to make Adora shudder and moan beneath her.

Watching her arch her back and bite her lip made Catra feel ecstatic and when Adora took her hand dragging it down the front of her body, pushing her fingers inside of her, she almost went over the edge herself.

Now it was Catra who felt under Adora’s control as her warm, wet hand pushed in and out of her best friend while she moaned and grunted, it was almost too much.

Adore couldn’t stop her hips from pumping, her tongue sliding in and out of Catra’s mouth, Catra’s hand sliding in and out of her body, firmly rubbing her clit with every thrust. If she could freeze time and stay this way forever she would certainly do that.

The way that Catra looked at her was new and hot and so full of lust, like she could rip her apart in the most seductive way. In all their years growing up together they’d never seen each other this way before and it was beyond exciting.

Just as Adora thought she was going to explode Catra slowed her hand, leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“I wanna taste you, can i?”

Not at all used to this type of talk or Catra asking for permission for anything, Adora sheepishly replied “Yes, please” then moaned “i want you to”

Oh my gods, she thought, i must have sounded so stupid, but Catra didn’t seem to think so or at least she didn’t say as much for once.

Instead she grinned deliciously, and feverishly began to kiss her way down Adora’s torso, licking and kissing her breasts and stomach, quickly making her way down between her legs. She began to lick and suck and flick her clit with her tongue. The wet sounds and salty taste were a symphony of sensation that Catra had never dreamed could be so incredible.

As she looked up with her mouth and tongue still happily flitting about, she could see Adora’s eyes closed with her forehead slightly twisted and her mouth open. _She’s always so beautiful_ Catra thought feeling so full of love for the astounding person before her.

“Ca, ah, tra” Adora moaned almost inaudibly.

Hearing her name like that, said by Adora, was an astronomical turn on and sent her tongue into overdrive. She could feel Adora’s body tighten, her hand land in Catra’s hair and her thighs squeeze the sides of her face, ending with a shudder that almost shook the bench beneath them.

Minutes passed like that with Catra’s head tightly between Adora’s legs, both of them breathing heavily trying to recover from that unparalleled moment.

“What was that? Did that just happen?” Adore said breathily, and giggling. “Are we still on Etheria? Catra where are you?”

With an unsatiated look in her multi coloured eyes Catra looked up, and grinned

“Hey Adora”

She then began to make her way back to Adora’s lips. Kissing her hard on her mouth Adora began to shudder again and grind her hips upward enjoying the aftershocks shivering through her body. As she moaned loudly she placed her leg between Catra’s who instantly starting rubbing herself against it.

Emboldened by her new experience Adora looked Catra in the eye, pushed her back, sat up and said matter of factly

“And now it’s my turn.”

The look of total surprise and aroused excitement on Catra’s usually smug face was enough to propel Adora downward immediately, aggressively pushing Catra’s legs apart, nibbling and kissing her inner thighs.

She always liked Catra’s scent, when they had sleepovers in the horde she’d cuddle into her back just to inhale her odour like a thief but the smell of her wetness was so hot that she couldn’t stop herself from driving her mouth against her.

Tasting her was surprising, she was salty but there was an unexpected sweetness too. Adora lapped at Catra with excitement and enthusiasm, pushing her tongue as deep into her as she could and fluttering about her clit as Catra made all sorts of feline noises she’d never heard before. Placing one hand on Catra’s outer thigh and slowly slipping fingers from her other hand inside her, Adora could tell Catra was very quickly getting close.

Catra haphazardly grabbed Adora’s disheveled ponytail and gently pulled her closer in, grinding her hips erratically against her mouth and fingers. Adora giggled looking up to see Catra’s eyes fluttering out of control, and her tongue practically lolling out of her mouth.

“Your panting is incredibly hot” Adora managed to mumble from between her legs.

“So is the sound of you licking me frantically. I’d love to hear some more of that right now.” Catra snarked in her offensively loving way.

Then more civilly she whimpered “Please don’t stop Adora, your mouth feels so fucken good”

At this Adoras cheeks flushed even brighter from hearing Catra curse and she smiled knowing her brazen cat girl couldn’t help herself from barking, _it’s definitely in her dna_. Catra continued to grunt and pump her hips as Adora grabbed the base of her tail and then the sides of her ass and pulled her as far into her mouth as she could. Sucking and flicking at such a fevered pitch Catra began to shake and the claws on her feet curled into Adora’s back, scratching her lightly, sending bolts of pleasure down through Adora’s cunt and legs again.

Catra released her gentle grip on Adora’s hair and removed the claws from her back but her body still shivered with pleasure and her contented purring was growing louder.  
Adora laughed as she came up to lay on top of Catra’s sweaty body.

“You purr after sex?!?” she lovingly mocked.

Catra was too tired to snipe back and replied happily “I only purr when i’m satisfied, princess”

They stayed like that, sticky bodies clinging together, Adora teasing the fur behind Catra ears and Catra purring deeper in reply.

As they lay together holding each other inside an ancient First Ones ruin they could hear distant voices calling their names.

Adora shot up speedily “Oh crap, the picnic!”

Catra lazily pulled herself up with her tail around Adora’s legs

“I might actually like picnics if this is what they’re like, yup i think i do.” She chimed, grinning stupidly at Adora.

They quickly gathered their clothing pulling it onto their sweaty bodies straightening each others shirts and hair, trying to look like they hadn’t just had sex in the woods. They crawled out of the ruin just as Glimmer and Bow rounded the corner.

“Picnic’s ready. Where were you? What is that thing?” Glimmer said as she walked towards them pointing at the rock formation behind them.

“Not much just a small cave” Adora said feebly, her lie so poorly veiled as always.

Bow approached and looked with curiosity “Let’s check it out!” He exclaimed.

Catra and Adora both jumped, speaking too quickly.

“No, no i’m so hungry right now” Adora mumbled

“Ya so so hungry from that um, walk.” Catra  
stammered, taking a step in front of the entrance to the ruin. Knowing that if the other two were to enter they would certainly know from the obvious odour what they’d been up to while they were gone.

Bow and Glimmer shared a suspicious look but decided the waiting picnic was priority and turned around to walk back. Besides, they knew they’d get whatever was going on out of Adora later anyway, she really was the worst at keeping secrets.

As the merry gang of Etherians traipsed back through the forrest Adora grabbed Catra’s hand in their familiar way, squeezing it back Catra brought it to her mouth and kissed it once more. Suddenly, they heard a shrieking sound that none of them could easily identify. Looks of concern were exchanged and they quickened their pace towards the sound.

They approached the glade, where they’d set up their lunch, and the sound grew louder. At the opening to the clearing stood a small winged creature covered in fur and feathers, its body pierced with an arrow, the horrible sound emanating from the wretched animal. Something about the way it moved and the faint twinkle of magic just didn’t seem right.

Adora looked at Catra and gave her a knowing nod, this was definitely the next bad thing she’d been dreading.


	3. The Bots are Back

“What the heck is it?” Glimmer cried out already knowing none of them had ever encountered such an animal. 

“I have no clue, but we can’t let it suffer.” Bow exclaimed. 

With that Adora whipped off her jacket and threw it onto the animals face covering its eyes, while Catra grabbed it by the wings. Strangely it didn’t struggle and seemed to relax as they subdued it. It stopped screeching entirely but then another sound could be heard, a faint metallic ticking. Before they could put it together they were blasted apart in every direction. 

Upon regaining consciousness Adora immediately called out for Catra, who managed to cry out horsely “I’m ok” from across the glade. 

As Adora rose up she pulled her hand into the air reciting her mantra of power “For the honour of grey skull!” her sword materialized transforming her into the majestic She-ra. Ready to defend her friends she looked around for Glimmer or Bow but couldn’t see them anywhere. Catra stumble to her feet and scanned the area seeing no sign of either one. 

“This isn’t right, somethings wrong Catra” She-ra said full of concern.

“Bow, Glimmer” she yelled but no answer came. 

They searched the woods until the suns began to set but to no avail. Finally She-ra took a good look at Catra who stood beside her slumped to one side, and realized her leg look very mangled.

“Your leg” she gasped but Catra didn’t seem to notice her only concern was for the two missing friends. 

Catra shrugged in reply and bent down to pick up a piece of the animal bot that had exploded, deciding that Entrapta could use it to figure out what the hell it was and maybe where it came from. 

“We need to get back to Brightmoon, and warn the others, somethings happening, we need to gather the rest of the princesses to help us find Glimmer and Bow” 

Just as Catra was about to reflexively quip about missing her first picnic or not getting any sweetum’s She-ra scooped her up in her arms. She ran back through the woods to the castle of Brightmoon. They had to warn the others and find out where Bow and Glimmer had gone or worse yet been taken.


	4. They’re Coming

The council assembled in record time, with Perfuma coming into the room last, she’d been the furthest away restoring the natural beauty of the forests decimated by the Hordes destruction. As the suns crested over the horizon everyone took their seats.

Adora stood at the head of the table, she hadn’t told them why they were summoned but her somber tone and the lack of Glimmer and Bow were reason enough to exchange anxious looks.

“Where’s Sparkles and Bow, WildCat?” Scorpia whispered to Catra who was perched on the side of Adora’s chair.

Her leg was fully healed by She-ra the moment they returned. Before Catra could reply Adora shot Scorpia a worried look.

“That’s why i asked you here today. Glimmer and Bow have disappeared.”

Gasps arouse from around the table. King Micah stood up “What happened?” he demanded. Queen Castaspella stood too and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Earlier this afternoon we were duped into getting close to a bot, some kind of cloaking magic made it look like a wounded animal. It was screeching so we went to see why.”

Remembering the horrid sound Catra cringed and wrapped her tail around her knees.

“We got close to help it, and it just exploded. I don’t know how long we were out but when we woke up Glimmer and Bow were gone.”

Saying these last words Adora hung her head, it was clear she felt responsible for loosing them.

“The bot wasn’t normal” Catra stood up and her extended claws over the top of the table. “Have you ever seen a bot with magic like that? It wasn’t normal.”

“That is factual.” Entrapta chimed in. She’d been tinkering with some small metal part barely listening the entire time.

Bringing her dictaphone to her mouth with her prehensile hair she began to address the council with her findings

“Fascinating. My initial examination has rendered the residual magic unusable, clearly this tech is of an advanced nature. Ohhhhh science! Data! Amazing! When i dissected the outer casing the first node was disconnected from the corresponding inner nodule.”

As she stopped a moment to savour the data she’d collected from her newest acquisition, she looked about the room and suddenly realized no one understood what she’d said. With widening eyes she translated her jargon into princess speak.

“The magic...stopped working...when i-” she made an exaggerated snipping gesture with her fingers “-cut it”

A round of knowing nods went around the table.

“Why couldn’t you just say that!” Mermista huffed.

“What does this mean Entrapta?” Micah said with concern heavy in his voice.

“From my calculations, we’re dealing with some very dark magic”

Entrapta grinned at the prospect of exploring something newly discovered and flipped her face mask down to continue her scientific examination of the metal piece.

Scorpia stood up and slammed her pinchers on the table but maintained her soft smile. “What are we waiting for then, let’s go gettem.”

Frosta brought her frozen ice fists into the air and placed them in front of her ready for a fight, Mermista and Perfuma nodded, while Netossa and Spinnarella stood together readying themselves for departure.

“Ya, that’s great” Catra snarked “but we don’t know where they are _genius_ ”

Just as Perfuma was about to tell Catra off for all her unwanted negative energy the table shook and in its center Glimmer appeared holding a battered, lifeless Bow in her bloodied arms.

“Well that was fast like a-” Seahawk began to sign not quite reading the room.

Mermista, knowing how oblivious and idiotic her boyfriend could be, glared at him “No, nope, not now” she said dousing him in cold water.

As King Micah began to climb onto the table to pick up his daughter, Glimmers eyes widened in fear.

“They’re coming” Glimmer barely choked out before she collapsed.


	5. <p>Chapter 5-Held By The Heart, Or Something </p>

Adora immediately transformed into She-ra in order to heal them but something wasn’t right, most of their wounds closed but no matter how hard she tried they wouldn’t wake up and the odd cuts above Bows eyes didn’t heal.

With Scorpia’s help they gingerly transferred them into her room where the bad was on the floor. Adora sat and dabbed a cool cloth along Glimmers forehead as Catra slunk into the room.

“Hey Adora.” She said half heartedly, then took the cloth from her hand.

”I’ll take a shift, you go try and sleep a bit.”

“I...I can’t Catra. What did Glimmer mean?Who’s coming? Why were they taken? i don’t get it. How did they get away?” Adora rambled trying to understand the situation.

“Ugggh , what happened to them?? Why can’t i heal them?” Adora whispered the last part of her sentence quietly, once again feeling the full responsibility of being the chosen one.

Taking Adora’s hand Catra led her to the ridiculously oversized pillow chair beside the bed and gently pushed her down into it. Grabbing a blanket off the end of the bed she covered Adora.

“If you won’t leave then sit there and try to shut up, ok? You might actually fall asleep” Catra said tenderly stroking the top of Adora’s head.

No matter how mean Catra’s words they were always betrayed by the kindness she showed Adora in her actions, Adora thought, as her eyes began to feel heavy.

“Yer a mean kitty” Adora slurred sleepily and Catra smiled broadly in return.

Setting herself between the bed and the fluffy chair Catra began to dab Glimmer and Bows foreheads with the damp cloth. Adora slipped into a restless slumber.

When she awoke, Glimmer was sitting up batting Catra’s hand away from her as the cat-girl attempted to see something that was glowing on Glimmers forearm. If the situation wasn’t so dire Adora could have sworn they were flirting. She rose wiping the sleep from her eyes, about to smile at Glimmer and Catra, she stopped short after seeing Bow on the bed still not awake.

“What’s going on, why didn’t you wake me? What is that?” Adora rattled off as she pointed to Glimmers arm.

“I don’t know. When i woke up it was there.”  
Glimmer replied, anxiety rising in her voice. “I don’t remember much after the explosion but i do know the creature that did this to me was pure magic, before it released us it told me we would all soon pay for what we’ve done to Etheria.”

“It released you? What did it do to Bow?” Adora pleaded.

Seeing the anguish in Glimmers eyes as she looked at her beloved friend, Adora wished she’d waited a bit to remind her of his unwaking state.

“When I woke after the explosion he was like this laying beside me, i tried to teleport us away but the magic was too strong.”

Glimmer slumped forward into Catra’s arms crying as Catra awkwardly patted her head, not used to being anyone but Adora’s comfort person.

“There, there Sparkles, we’ve got you, we’ll figure this out.” Catra said trying her best to sound supportive.

Adora walked to Bows side of the bed and looked him over, his vitals were good, he looked like he was just asleep but something about the cuts above his eyes turned his sweet face sour. Adora caressed the side of his cheek as she silently vowed to find a way to bring him back to them. She then turned her attention to Glimmers arm. It was some sort of glowing symbol that hung just above her skin, she ran her fingers across the symbol, as all three warriors examined it. Although she couldn’t read it there was something familiar about it.

“This isn’t First One’s language but it almost looks like it, any chance Bows dads’ ever mentioned people more ancient than the First Ones?” Adora inquired of Glimmer.

“Not that i can recall, we only met them a few times and i mean we were trying to save the universe so it didn’t really come up. What are you thinking?”

“Well...” Adora paused. “This is gonna sound crazy but-”

“-Ya nothin’ new for you Adora” Catra interrupted then instantly regretted it “I swear it’s a reflex, working on it, sorry”.

Adora’s harsh face softened as she went on “it looks like a mix of First Ones language combined with something else, something...older.”

Taking a breath she went on.

“When i was training with Light Hope she showed me the First Ones, and then when we defeated Prime i could see his memories as i expelled him from Hordak’s body. I could see people, magical people, ancient people way older than the First Ones and their symbols, they looked like this”

Glimmer and Catra said nothing letting Adora think things through. Then she slowly took Glimmers arm and once again traced the symbol trying to make sense of it with what little knowledge she had.

“This part here, it might say “held to the heart” or maybe “seen by the heart or something? Ahh, i don’t know” Adora looked down momentarily defeated.

Seeing her most precious human looking so low brought out the compassion that lay deeply concealed in Catra’s heart, with her tail she pulled Adora into her arms beside Glimmer.

“The suns will be up in a few hours you two really need to get some rest, i have a feeling you’re going to need it” Catra purred, and patted her shoulder as an invitation.

Feeling utterly exhausted and unable to resist the uncharacteristic comfort offered by their constantly surprising friend, both woman curled into Catra’s warm chest and were soon asleep.

When she was certain they were sleeping soundly, made obvious by Glimmer’s snoring and Adora’s drooling, Catra pulled herself out of the sweaty tangle of limbs and smoothed her hair as she walked towards the door. Just as she opened it King Micah and Queen Castaspella stood there ready to enter, they looked at the bed and seeing Glimmer sleeping peacefully they all backed out of the room.

“Are they alright now? Did She-ra heal them?” Both royals said with worry almost in unison.

Catra filled them in on what she knew. As she finished, a grave look fell across Micah’s face and almost in a whisper he said

“They were supposed to be a myth, the stuff of fairy tales. As children, Light Spinner would tell us their stories to scare us into obedience. I never believed that they were real.”

Castaspella’s face was pale, she too remembered the childhood tales used to manipulate and control them.

Then without hesitation the royals looked sadly at each other.

“We need to journey to the Shadow Land” King Micah stated

“If it really exists then it may be our only hope” replied his sister.

As they turned to leave Micah swung back around to face Catra “Please Catra, keep them safe and don’t let Adora leave the castle, if this evil comes while we’re gone you’ll need She-ra more than ever.”

Without anymore explanation he turned on his heels and the two siblings rushed away before Catra could even reply.

“Ya sure, of course i will, thanks for keeping me in the loop” She said to no one, her ears flicking outward in irritation.


	6. At a Time Like This!

After the suns rose a council meeting was called and the princesses decided that they would remain in Brightmoon incase the threat appeared again and until the royals returned. They also decided they would all take turns staying by Bow’s bedside until he woke.  
On the second day Glimmer felt well enough to come out of bed and resume her duties as queen but found it increasingly difficult because of her building frustration with her aunt and father leaving in such a rush. They didn’t even wake her to say goodbye.

The halls were filled with concerned princess and she hated the way they looked at her with what she mistakenly took as pity. Early in the morning, in a futile attempt at normalcy, she tried to hear the concerns of her citizens but found herself barking orders and dismissing their complaints. After the third Etherian turned tail and left, offended by the Queens unusually curt manner, she gave up trying for the day and retreated to her room but not before looking in on Bow. She found him in the same state as before. Since it was Spinarella and Netossa’s shift she was gently shooed from the room and encouraged to go rest.

When she arrived instantaneously in her own room, she was surprised to find both Adora and Catra doing something in her bed. How did they even get up there she wondered. Annoyed at her lack of privacy but more because she was worried about her dad and aunt, she slammed her staff on the floor and startled both her friends. Catra peered over the edge of Glimmers ultra high bed and raised her eye brows in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

“What gives Sparkles?” She snorted

Unable to keep up her show of false anger for long Glimmer teleported up to the bed with them and slumped over looking entirely pitiful.

“I’m so worried about my dad and aunt, i’ve never even heard of the Shadow Land before, i have no idea where they are or what they’re even doing there. AND WHY DIDN’T THEY SAY GOODBYE!”

It was at that moment she realized that Adora was holding the covers up to her chest in a very concealing sort of manner.

“What are you doing in here anyway?”

“Bow, asleep, my room, remember?” Adora stammered.

Glimmers eyes squinted with suspicion just now putting it together that they were up to something more than hanging out in there. As she looked from Catra to Adora and then to Catra again she began to blush and tried to look anywhere but at her friends.

“How can you do _this_ ” She gestured between them still not making eye contact “at a time like _this_!”.

Catra could not hold back a chuckle at Glimmers innocent embarrassment.

“We we’re trying to relax, self care, ya know.” Catra replied.

“it’s been a very stressful few days.” Adora tried to explain. “It’s not like there’s much we can do until your dad gets back-”

“Or this ancient evil magic thing comes again” Catra interrupted.

Adore shot Catra a stern look. Trying to look intimidating is pretty hard without a shirt, Glimmer thought to her self. Then realizing she was staring at her friends chest she clumsily looked away, but too slowly for Catra not to have noticed. Suddenly a wicked smirk spread across Catra’s face and she moved closer to Glimmer who’s innocents was, until then, an unknown temptation for Catra.

“You could join us, if you’re inclined to enjoy a little escape, Sparkles” Saying her pet name more teasingly than usual.

Adora’s eyes widened but she didn’t interject, suddenly curious about the outcome of this unexpected offer. Finding herself surprised at her own interest in the prospect of having fun with Glimmer this way. Glimmer’s cheeks turned red and she began to feel an overwhelming heat come over her face.

She stammered awkwardly to reply. “I um, but, you and, her, and uh”

They all knew she could teleport out of there in an instant but she didn’t, she just continued to trip over her own tongue and blubber embarrassingly. She couldn’t deny she’d felt something for Catra when she woke to being nursed so tenderly, and she’d had a crush on Adora when they first met but she’d never let herself think much more than that about it. Her and Bow had been intimate together for years but they weren’t exclusive, and there had even been one strange but pleasant night when Perfuma joined them at Bows request, but this was different somehow.

Seeing her hesitation and adorable innocent embarrassment, Adora let the sheet fall, revealing one breast, then she sort of just sat there slightly grinning at Glimmer. This time instead of turning away Glimmer met her gaze and smiled.

Catra moved closer to Glimmer and touched her thigh with her hand. With a mock frown, shaking her head from side to side she said:

“Yup, you are definitely stressed Sparkles, Adora and i know just how to help with that.” Any resolve Glimmer had to resist such an encounter melted as Catra drawled her invitation.

“What kind of help are you offering exactly?” Glimmer asked with curiosity.

It was then that Adora let the rest of the sheet fall and leaned towards her friend, taking the back of her head in her hand she pulled her into a lustful kiss.

“That, basically.” Adora replied beaming with unearned confidence.

Never to be out done Catra moved in kissing and nibbling Glimmers lips, she slipped her hand into her shirt and groped her breasts feeling her arousal as her nipples hardened.

“And some of that too” Catra purred smugly.

_Always a competition with this one_ , Adora thought to herself, and smiled at the prospect of this particular type of challenge. Glimmer, in reply, pulled Catra down and began to kiss her again, suddenly more turned on than she’d expected she started to tug and pull at Catra’s ear and hair, arousing her feline friend to no end. Adora sat back watching them, enjoying her own personal show, finally feeling like some of the stress and fear was momentarily melting from her body.

“Cape, off” Catra instructed.

Glimmer obliged her without hesitation, and much enthusiasm. Adora could not hold back and pushed her way between them caressing Glimmers body and pushing her bum against Catra’s waist. Not that Catra minded because she immediately started to kiss the nape of Adora’s neck, ground her hips against her, and pulled one leg slightly outward and landed straddling the back of her thigh.

Adora continued running her hands across Glimmers ample curves enjoying the softness of her flesh, occasionally licking it and sucking a nipple through her shirt.

Glimmer’d had sex with Bow before many times and it was thoroughly enjoyable, he was so sweet and gentle and completely romantic but this was nothing like that. _Well it is similar in some ways, this is, so far, extremely enjoyable_ she thought, but both her female friends were slightly aggressive and primal, pushing and pulling her in the most attractive way. She could feel an aching beginning to grow, she drew a breath in just as Adora slipped her hands beneath her shirt and breathily asked

“May i?”

“Please” She replied as she pulled it over her head, thinking how polite and kind her friends were, well Bow and Adora at least, not really Catra, but that recklessly assertive quality, in this particular context, suddenly became very hot.

She could feel Catra’s rhythmic pumping behind Adora and grabbed the sides of her thighs, she pulled them both in closer so she could join too.  
This was all the invitation Adora needed to explore another tactic, wetting her own fingers with her mouth she lowered her hand down the inside front of Glimmers suit. Following Glimmers breath she began to stroke her swollen clit, realizing that she probably didn’t need to lick her fingers, she was already very wet.

As Adora toyed with Glimmer, Catra eased the queens pants entirely off, then proceeded to do the same for Adora. Her heightened sense of smell was in over drive and her tail was twitching furiously behind her, grabbing Adora’s waist from behind with her tail she started to grind and rub herself with one free hand and searched between Adora’s legs for her clit with the other. Adora turned her head and kissed her so deeply she could barely breathe.

When Adora turned back to face Glimmer, who was holding her wrist and frantically fucking her fingers, she could hear Catra muttering appropriately placed obscenities behind her and her arousal was elevated. She always knew her girlfriend had a filthy mouth but it was never used it on her in this exact way before, it was all she could do to hold off from cuming.

“Inside me” Glimmer panted so enthused she was unable to form a complete sentence, but that didn’t matter Adora knew what she was requesting.

She gleefully pushed her fingers inside, relishing her soft wetness as she plunged in and out rapidly. Adora could feel herself getting close and the louder Catra grunted and cursed against her back the closer she got.

“Don’t you dare stop princess” Catra groaned in her ear as she continued to pump her ass backward against the hand between her legs.

“Ya, n- stop princess” Glimmer repeated in such a state of ecstasy she could barely echo what Catra had said.

This made all three women laugh wildly while they pushed and pulled their sweaty body’s against each other.

Moments like these, so full of pleasure, were undeniably rare in Adora’s world that she wanted to hold on just a little longer to linger in their warmth.

Removing her fingers from inside of Glimmer, Adora dove down between her legs eagerly lapping at her clit, running her tongue around it and flicking it up and down making Glimmer flit her hips in every direction. Pushing her tongue in and out of Glimmer, Adora could feel her own wetness dribbling down her leg. She continued to lick around her clit and up and down her swollen lips teasing every twitch out of her as she felt her climax rising.

Just as Glimmer began to cum she pulled Adora up and kissed her with such intensity that their mouths made a popping sound when they released. This was encouragement to Catra who yowled and wildly stroked Adora’s pussy. Rapidly she rubbed and pinched her clit furiously until she could feel her girlfriends entire body stiffen and shudder. Letting out a cry Adora collapsed onto Glimmer who was still shivering from her own orgasm, the bed beneath them soaked in sweat and wetness.

“We’re gonna need to change these sheets” Catra chuckled but Adora had other plans.

“Not quite yet” Adora said as a wicked grin spread across her face.

Adora leaned over to Glimmer who was still not quite recovered from the fun and whispered something into her ear. Whatever the request it perked Glimmer up and she teleported away, only to return seconds later holding a hair brush, Adora shook her head disapprovingly and Glimmer teleported away again, this time returning with a huge cucumber to which Adora raised her eyebrows in astonishment and disapproval, once more Glimmer disappeared only to appear again a moment later with what looked like a pestle.

“Okay, seriously, where did you get this thing?” Adora inquired thinking it just might fulfill her devious purpose.

“The kitchen” Glimmer smiled broadly as she took a bite of a apple she’d acquired along the way.

She then leaned back and watched Adora contentedly. Adora turned back to Catra who was still panting heavily. She looked intrigued by all the teleporting but stared quizzically at the object in Adora’s hand.

“What’s that for Adora?” She inquired of her mischievous looking girlfriend.

“You’ll find out” Adora countered as she raised the long cylindrical pestle to her lip. “Turn around” She ordered playfully.

“Tell me why and i will” Catra retorted.

“Don’t be a stubborn brat Catra, turn around” Adora replied with a mixture of fainned annoyance and lust.

Liking this aggressively horny side of Adora, Catra obeyed, she flipped onto her stomach and gazed over the edge of Glimmers bed.

Peering down between Catra’s legs Adora could see she was still very wet and pulsing, so without a moment lost she grabbed the base of her tail and eased the pestle into her cunt. Using her hips and her hand to hold it in place she began to slide in and out, fucking her from behind.

Instantly Catra began to moan and knead the bed in front of her with her claws. Desperately she pushed herself against Adora’s hips. Fuck, her body felt amazing against Adora’s naked skin, the fine peach fuzz fur covering her back felt so sensual that Adora let out another moan. Matching Catra’s rhythm Adora pumped in and out of her, getting just as much pleasure from watching her girlfriend bucking wildly against her, as Catra was obviously getting from being fucked so enthusiastically.

Reaching around Catra’s body Adora pinched and grabbed her breasts and nipples, sucking on the back of her neck and biting the tips of her ears that were set back towards her. Momentarily looking over at Glimmer she could see her legs had fallen apart and she was vigorously rubbing her own clit while watching them intently.

“Harder” Catra growled, Adora pumped harder. sweat now flowing off her flushed body.

“Harder” she demanded again.

Adora picked up her pace and began to pound into Catra’s pussy with speed and force as Catra moaned loudly and cried out for her to keep going. Panting and whimpering both women ground their bodies together at a feverish pitch. Adora’s thighs dripping with Catra she tightened her grip on the base of her tail and as the thrumming of her clit exploded into waves they climaxed almost in unison. In total exhaustion Adora slumped onto Catra who couldn’t talk or breath or move as the final shudders of her orgasm shivered through her body.

Looking over at Glimmer who was glistening in her own sweat they all began to laugh at the disheveled set of them and when they were ready they moved to lay down in the middle of the softly swinging bed.

“Relaxed?” Adora queried

“Relaxed, princess” Catra said still dazed by the phenomenon that was their threesome.

“Yup, i can safely say i am definitely relaxed now” Glimmer said sleepily, yawning into Adora’s arm.

Laying there sandwiched between Catra and Glimmer, Adora felt a calmness she’d forgotten existed.

Even though both women in her arms where clearly drifting off to sleep, Adora never could stop herself from blurting out whatever happened to be on her mind.

“So are we like girlfriends now?” She inquired

“Shut it princess” mumbled Catra, taking Adora’s hand into her own.

“Not now Adora, i’m too tired” Yawned Glimmer reaching over to touch Catra’s arm, and teetering on the verge of sleep.

“Okay, never mind” Adora said smiling contentedly to herself, safe in the knowledge that no matter what happened in the future the people she loved we’re there beside, for now anyways.


	7. From The Beginning, No The Real Beginning

“The council must assemble immediately” King Micah boomed as he forcefully entered Glimmer’s room later that afternoon. 

All three tousled heads emerged from above, peeking over the side of Glimmer’s bed.

“Oh my gods! Daaaad! I told you to knock before you come in!” Glimmer piped.

Popping her head back down into the bed she pulled her rumpled outfit back on with astonishing speed. She teleported down to stand in front of her father who stood looking up scratching his head.

“Uh yes, sorry baby girl, i um forgot.”

Throwing her arms around him she sighed.

“It doesn’t matter i’m so glad you’re back and ok. What did you find out in the Shadow Land?”

“That’s exactly what i came to tell you. We need to call the council to assemble, we can’t waste anymore time”

Nodding her understanding, Glimmer looked over her dad’s shoulder.

“Okay, yes i’ll call one immediately, but where’s aunt Casta?”

By her dad’s expression she could tell the answer was not good.

“We’ll get her back, i promise we will, but for now do as i say, call the council. Now.”

As the princess alliance assembled for the second time in as many days, Adora sat at her chair smiling glibly at Glimmer across the table. 

“So what’s the deal?” Mermista uttered.

Perfuma and Frosta looked around the table in anticipation of King Micah’s declaration. 

“We’re all here dad” Glimmer nudged her father impatiently to start the meeting.

“We’ve faced darkness before” The king started, feeling the weight of his coming words. “I thought after Prime was defeated, we’d get to live in peace but none of us can see the future, even the greatest sorcerers of our world can not truly predict what will come.”

Micah’s voice grew horse and tears of anguish began to peek out of the corners of his eyes. He continued.

“But i have seen what we must face next, not through sorcery but with my own eyes when Casta and i went to the Shadow Land to retrieve our last best hope” 

As he said this he reached into his cloak and extracted a small blue crystal in the shape of a bird. 

“Casta-“ He exhaled quickly and Glimmer rose to his side and took his arm as concern spread across her face.

“The magic we used to retrieve this”he held up the crystal “was of the most dangerous order. Casta was frozen into the extraction stone when i pulled it out” 

The room let out a collective gasp. The tension of worry grew thick in the air.

“Wait, wait, hold up. What’s the Shadow Land? I thought that was just a bedtime story” Mermista sputtered. Micah sighed and nodded.

“Yes, yes you’re right. Were else to start but at the beginning. The First Ones, were never the first ones to inhabit Etheria” Micah began “The true first ones were here thousands of years ago, long before we were hidden from the universe. They built a civilization that was entirely interwoven with the natural world. Their technology was incredible but magic was their greatest strength. They lived in cities that were an integrated part of the landscape of Etheria, they did so for thousands of years until the First Ones appeared. In the beginning they welcomed them and lived peacefully with the newcomers. But then as the legends say, the First Ones began to extract their most precious resource, their magic. The First Ones tried to convince them that their intentions were good, they were going to share their knowledge with other worlds. But the ancient sorcerers fought to stop them and tried to stay on the land the First Ones were mining but the First Ones tech was too powerful and by that time the ancients decided to use force, the First Ones had drained their magic too deeply, in the end they had to flee. The myths told about them said they dwelled beneath the crust of Etheria, waiting to strike back, waiting to kill the ones who stole their homes, and land, and magic, biding their time in a place called the Shadow Land.” Micah’s eyes grew weary.

“We were told about their lives as fables, tales to keep us inline, stories that we figured were only myth, but i know now that they were real. I am certain now, they are still real” Micah sighed, his sadness palatable in the room.

“So just to be clear: the first ones-not the first, ancient race of super sorcerers existed and still do, Queen Casta’s-a rock in the Shadow Land and my mom’s a total liar? She’s the one who told me all those stories!” Mermista said in her characteristically blasé manner. 

Glimmer shot the sharpest stare in her direction.  
Micah turned his face up to look at the alliance, his eyes were not angry but tired.

“Yes, yes, yes, and your mom probably didn’t think they existed either. Only after seeing the strange markings on Glimmer’s arm and going there myself do i now believe they were never a fairy tale ”

“So what now? Why did they attack us?” Catra asked without a hint of the sardonic.

“That’s a lot harder to decipher and that’s why we went to retrieve the crystal. The stories we were told spoke of a powerful stone, it was a decoder and a healer, lost in the last battle at the entrance to the Shadow Land. It was said the First Ones used it to understand the complex language of the ancients, to heal their people from all manner of disease and ultimately translate their magic into something they could use. I don’t know for sure, but i believe, now that the First Ones and the Horde have been defeated and Etheria is back inside the universe, they might just want to return, to take their place on the surface again and we’re the only ones left in their way” 

Adora could see the anguish King Micah felt and in turn Glimmer, she saw the fear building in the room and stood slowly to address her comrades.

“We faced the Horde, with troops that far outnumbered us, we faced Prime at the verge of annihilation and after all that we won, we can figure this out too. I don’t know how we’re going to fix this but i know, we always find a way” The troubled looks remained but Catra nodded in her direction and for now that would be enough.

King Micah turned to face her, he held out his hand with the crystal bird and Adora took it. Grasping it tightly in her hand she stood erect. 

“Ok, so how do we use this birdy and who’s going to get Casta out of that rock?” Adora said with steely determination and her never ending supply of hope.

All of the princess stood in unison, and Adora could feel the energy growing, after all princess wouldn’t just sit around while their friends are being hurt, if there’s anything princesses are synonymous with it’s action.


	8. Awake

King Micah, Spinerella, Netossa and Frosta had agreed they would be the ones to somehow get Castaspella back from the Shadow Land. The rest of the princesses would stay in Brightmoon and prepare for battle, fortifying the area and spreading the word about the coming enemy. 

Adora, Glimmer, Entrapta and Catra, went immediately to see Bow and figure out how to use the crystal bird to heal him. When they were done that then they’d figure out how to decode Glimmer’s light tattoo.

As they entered Adora’s room they were greeted by the best possible sight, Bow was awake sitting up in bed. Glimmer screamed with joy and ran to hug him tightly.

“Glim-mer, i uh, can’t, uh it’s hard, to uh, breath” Bow squawked as he continued to embrace his best friend. 

“Oh right, sorry, did i hurt you? are you okay?” She sputtered running her hands over his body, lifting his limbs, opening his lips with her fingers and tilting his head to look behind his ears. He swatted her hands away.

“Yes, i’m okay Glimmer. I’m okay”

Catra smirked at the pair, only 21 and they seemed like how she’d pictured an old couple might be. Kinda how she secretly hoped her and Adora would be someday, assuming they survived this new threat of course.

“Well if you’re not going to use the artifact to heal Bow can i PLEASE see it now. I’ve been very patient, i think.” Entrapta blurted out to Adora, turning to Bow she said “I’m so glad you’re alright Bow, i’ve devised the most incredible exploding, self retrieving, arrows for you. Would you like to see them?” 

Bow nodded his head “That sounds amazing Entrapta but can it wait until i get up and put some cloths on? I’m starving too, did you guys finish all the food from the picnic?”

“You’ve been asleep for 2 days Bow, we were in an explosion, we were kidnapped by a mythological evil sorcerer, and a lot more than that’s happened. That picnic is long gone!” Glimmer blurted out. 

Bow looked utterly shocked.

“Oh, i was kind of wondering why i was in Adora’s bed, half naked with all of you staring at me so strangely.” Bow put his hand on his neck as if to massage the memories back into himself.

“You don’t remember anything that happened? “ Adora inquired.

“I remember, we went for the picnic, and you two” he said pointing at her and Catra “ were being weird outside of that cave. Oh, and then there was that sound, but then it gets kind of fuzzy.” 

They all looked at each other not knowing what to say, he didn’t even remember the explosion, something must have happened to his brain when they were thrown across the glade.

“Maybe you should rest again Bow. Your body’s still recovering” Glimmer kissed his forehead and stroked his hair. 

“I do still feel a little sleepy. Do you mind if i just stay in here Adora?” Bow asked.

“No, of course not, Catra and i’ll stay in Glimmer’s room tonight.” Adora answered. Bow took a sip of the water on the beside table and lay back down as Adora pulled the covers up and tucked him in. 

All four princesses turned to leave but as they closed the door, unbeknownst to them, the cuts above Bows eyebrows opened to reveal two small blue eyes peeking out.


End file.
